Budget busting booze

Budget busting booze

Wine aficionados have a reputation for being discriminating collectors, yet other types of liquor have their cultured devotees of their own. Few are likely to have as strong a following as some of these high-end brands, which command top dollar for the privilege of swilling them at bars, cocktail parties or on a private jet.

Scott Abramson, vice president of the Park Avenue Liquor Shop in Manhattan, said that customers purchase expensive liquors for different reasons. "Sometimes they're collectors that collect a certain scotch or cognac, and they're buying it for an investment or for a high-end gift," he said. But "it's not like 20 years ago, when it was a businessman in a suit and tie," he said. "People, especially rappers and athletes, will drop six, seven, $8,000 a bottle. It runs the gamut."

While $22,000 for a bottle of Speyside may seem like a lot, there have been some liquors that have far exceeded that. The high price tag could be because the liquor was produced in an extremely limited run, because it has gone unopened for hundreds of years, or simply because the bottle has been "blinged out" beyond the point of ridiculousness.

Whatever the reason, however, these liquors command a high price — and demand is out there in spite of it.